1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for connecting a cap or topper to the box of a pickup or other truck so that it can be raised or removed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hinge and connection assembly for removably mounting a truck cap or topper to the truck box such that either side of the cap or topper may be raised, with the other side serving as a stable hinge linked to the truck box.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Caps or toppers have become a popular way of enclosing the box of pickup trucks or other trucks having open beds with side and end walls. A variety of mechanisms have been developed to connect caps or toppers to the truck box. Some of these devices simply permit the cap or topper to be raised vertically above the box, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,155,423 and 3,765,716. Other devices permit a truck box cover to be hinged at its forward edge, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,247. Still others permit a truck box cap to be raised at one side of the truck box, while the other side of the cap rotates in hinged fashion along the other side of the truck box, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,886,375; 3,180,674; 3,508,787; 4,181,351; 4,629,243; and 4,819,981.
Among the disadvantages of the prior art devices are that they are relatively complicated mechanical assemblies and therefore relatively expensive to manufacture. In addition, a number of the prior mechanisms have not provided adequate security, in the form of a mechanism or a structure that is easily locked to prevent the cap from being raised by unauthorized persons. In some designs where locking is possible, a padlock must be supplied. Prior art structures have also, in general, required that the cap mounting brackets be attached with fasteners at holes bored through portions of the truck box (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,981). Such holes compromise the integrity of the truck box, require extra tools and installation time and are exposed to view if the cap or topper is removed from the truck box. Accordingly, what is needed as an improvement over the prior art is a hinge and connection assembly that remedies the preceding deficiencies.